Re: The Gradual Massacre (GBS2G4) [Round 1: Focal High School]
06-05-2010, 06:22 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.
The Countess' cold, blank lenses glared at Algernon, still save for the perpetual tick and toil of the innumerable cogs that comprised the monster. She raised a hand to her face, and ran the slender fingers down the cascade of mechanisms with a rattling sigh. Thane's pleas for help (swiftly disregarded as per the Controller's orders - the subterfuge would be certain to cause more confusion amongst the contestants without the Countess' meddling) had certainly let her clear her head and restore the mask of peaceable civility, even if the repair job was a little hasty and let some terseness through. On the bright side, Algernon was almost too easy to frighten - the Countess merely had to stand there and barely raise a finger. Granted, this made the whole endeavour less than rewarding, but that simply made the Countess aspire to look after the boy, to spare him, simply to relish the added harmonic of betrayl in his terrified screams when she eventually ripped him apart.
Algernon only witnessed a little tick of slightly more exposed teeth from this train of thought. He shifted his fingers round the light, too worried about crushing it in his hands to hold it tighter. The Countess shuffled back a little, fingers raised to her chest in apparent contrition at having alarmed him.
"My apologies, dearest. I'm not here to hurt you." As much as Algernon wanted to believe that, he kept his hands firmly round the tube.
"But... you- he- said-"
"Oh, the Controller? He doesn't bother me," she said with a sinister grin. Trilling gently to herself, she continued, "I'm certain he'd love the sight of me being goaded into self-defence, more than any pain he could inflict upon me himself. And... I think you'll be safe from Sir Arnold's awful fate as well."
"Oh yeah?" Algernon managed to muster a fair bit of pluck for that, but the incredulity was most sincere. The Countess nodded.
"I just told you. Not being cursed with immortality like the knight, the Controller will have to be content with watching how all of you plan to go for each other's throats."
How... can she be so calm about this? "You- you say that like, like you don't-" the words were struggling to get out, the Controller's visceral warning against Algernon's current train of thinking crippling his ability to vocalise it.
The amalgam tittered, waving a dismissive claw. "Of course I don't want to fight! Hm, as I've already reiterated, truly barbaric. Regrettably, by the sound of the Old One, there are some amongst us who enjoy committing such atrocities." She sighed, before locking Algernon in place again with that cool stare, focus intensifying upon him as evidenced by the stacking, whirring lenses. The florescent light flashing off them, whirring round with the slow grace of orbiting moons, until they lined up, eclipsing with an imperceptible click. "So, you're not going to attack me?"
"I, uh..." Algernon fought a vicious argument with himself about who, out of the Controller and the Countess, he least wanted to anger. Panic cascaded into desperation, and he gripped his makeshift staff and charged at the amalgam with a tortured yell. The Countess parried easily, shuffling out of the way, leaving a long leg behind to send Algernon sprawling. The lighting tube shattered as it fell from his hands, a ratchety snicker somewhere behind him. The man, humiliated, couldn't help but think the Countess' mechanical chuckle bore a lot more sincerity than her harpsichord trill, but he was more interested in the sound of shuffling spider feet dulling as the Countess headed for the door. She was still laughing quietly.
"See, Algernon, dear? A little rage is doing you good. Hm, providing it's truly your own... I don't think it should shouldn't matter too much either way. Please, do take care." A snick of a door, and the Countess was gone. Still supplanted against the carpet, Algernon listened to the fading skitter-click as the monster departed.
The Countess' cold, blank lenses glared at Algernon, still save for the perpetual tick and toil of the innumerable cogs that comprised the monster. She raised a hand to her face, and ran the slender fingers down the cascade of mechanisms with a rattling sigh. Thane's pleas for help (swiftly disregarded as per the Controller's orders - the subterfuge would be certain to cause more confusion amongst the contestants without the Countess' meddling) had certainly let her clear her head and restore the mask of peaceable civility, even if the repair job was a little hasty and let some terseness through. On the bright side, Algernon was almost too easy to frighten - the Countess merely had to stand there and barely raise a finger. Granted, this made the whole endeavour less than rewarding, but that simply made the Countess aspire to look after the boy, to spare him, simply to relish the added harmonic of betrayl in his terrified screams when she eventually ripped him apart.
Algernon only witnessed a little tick of slightly more exposed teeth from this train of thought. He shifted his fingers round the light, too worried about crushing it in his hands to hold it tighter. The Countess shuffled back a little, fingers raised to her chest in apparent contrition at having alarmed him.
"My apologies, dearest. I'm not here to hurt you." As much as Algernon wanted to believe that, he kept his hands firmly round the tube.
"But... you- he- said-"
"Oh, the Controller? He doesn't bother me," she said with a sinister grin. Trilling gently to herself, she continued, "I'm certain he'd love the sight of me being goaded into self-defence, more than any pain he could inflict upon me himself. And... I think you'll be safe from Sir Arnold's awful fate as well."
"Oh yeah?" Algernon managed to muster a fair bit of pluck for that, but the incredulity was most sincere. The Countess nodded.
"I just told you. Not being cursed with immortality like the knight, the Controller will have to be content with watching how all of you plan to go for each other's throats."
How... can she be so calm about this? "You- you say that like, like you don't-" the words were struggling to get out, the Controller's visceral warning against Algernon's current train of thinking crippling his ability to vocalise it.
The amalgam tittered, waving a dismissive claw. "Of course I don't want to fight! Hm, as I've already reiterated, truly barbaric. Regrettably, by the sound of the Old One, there are some amongst us who enjoy committing such atrocities." She sighed, before locking Algernon in place again with that cool stare, focus intensifying upon him as evidenced by the stacking, whirring lenses. The florescent light flashing off them, whirring round with the slow grace of orbiting moons, until they lined up, eclipsing with an imperceptible click. "So, you're not going to attack me?"
"I, uh..." Algernon fought a vicious argument with himself about who, out of the Controller and the Countess, he least wanted to anger. Panic cascaded into desperation, and he gripped his makeshift staff and charged at the amalgam with a tortured yell. The Countess parried easily, shuffling out of the way, leaving a long leg behind to send Algernon sprawling. The lighting tube shattered as it fell from his hands, a ratchety snicker somewhere behind him. The man, humiliated, couldn't help but think the Countess' mechanical chuckle bore a lot more sincerity than her harpsichord trill, but he was more interested in the sound of shuffling spider feet dulling as the Countess headed for the door. She was still laughing quietly.
"See, Algernon, dear? A little rage is doing you good. Hm, providing it's truly your own... I don't think it should shouldn't matter too much either way. Please, do take care." A snick of a door, and the Countess was gone. Still supplanted against the carpet, Algernon listened to the fading skitter-click as the monster departed.
peace to the unsung peace to the martyrs | i'm johnny rotten appleseed
clouds is shaky love | broke as hell but i got a bunch of ringtones
eyes blood red bruise aubergine | Sue took something now Sue doesn't sleep | saint average, day in the life of
woke up in the noon smelling doom and death | out the house, great outdoors
staying warm in arctic blizzard | that's my battle 'til I get inanimate | still up in the same clothes living like a gameshow
clouds is shaky love | broke as hell but i got a bunch of ringtones
eyes blood red bruise aubergine | Sue took something now Sue doesn't sleep | saint average, day in the life of
woke up in the noon smelling doom and death | out the house, great outdoors
staying warm in arctic blizzard | that's my battle 'til I get inanimate | still up in the same clothes living like a gameshow